In 2015, no marijuana policy reform was proposed at all in the South Dakota Legislature. However, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe opted in June to legalize cannabis. The tribe is the first in the nation to legalize marijuana, following the Justice Department’s December 2014 decision to allow Native American tribes to do so. The tribe will be growing and selling cannabis on South Dakota tribal lands by December 2015.

Meanwhile, the state lags far behind. In 2012, there were 2,297 arrests for marijuana possession in South Dakota, and 127 arrests for marijuana sales. Possession of just a small amount of marijuana in the state carries a potential penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine! Even more alarmingly, a recent study by the American Civil Liberties Union found that South Dakota was among the top 10 states with the largest racial disparities in marijuana possession arrest rates. Despite people of all races using marijuana at nearly identical rates, blacks in South Dakota are nearly 4.8 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession.

Supporters of a ballot measure aimed at legalizing small amounts of marijuana for medical use filed a complaint Tuesday claiming the South Dakota Secretary of State's office didn't do enough to prove petition signatures were illegitimate before disqualifying the measure.

New Approach South Dakota is collecting signatures for a proposal to make medical marijuana legal.

The initiative would appear on the 2016 ballot if supporters can collect enough signatures by Nov. 9.

If the proposal appears on the 2016 ballot and is approved by the voters, it would:

• Legalize the medical use of marijuana for patients with a medical practitioner’s certification and one of several listed conditions, including cancer, AIDS/HIV, seizure disorders, PTSD, and severe pain.

All websites, mobile apps, and software for use by MjLink™ are owned and managed by Social Life Network, Inc. To contact the following departments, dial 1-844-420-4208 - Sales: Ext. #2 - Support: Ext. #3 - Investor Relations: Ext. #6

By using this website, you agree and understand that, by law: You MUST be at least 21 years of age to view any content on this website. To view the complete Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for this website, Click Here!